President Trump Admits He’s Not Making it Easy to Get Democrats’ Support

President Trump Admits He’s Not Making it Easy to Get Democrats’ Support

President Donald Trump speaks at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 21, 2017.Nicholas Kamm—AFP/Getty Images

Jun 21, 2017

President Donald Trump riffed on Democrats at his campaign-style rally in Iowa on Wednesday, saying the party has been "unbelievably nasty" while at the same time admitting he hasn't made bipartisanship easy.

“I am making it a little bit hard to get their support, but who cares," Trump said Wednesday.

The President said Democrats were not willing to work with Republicans on the pending health care legislation at his Wednesday night rally, saying that even if the GOP came up with the "greatest health care plan in the history of the world" they would not get a single vote from Democrats. Democrats generally oppose the Republicans' plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature legislative achievement. And in the Senate, Republicans have been working on a bill to partner the House's replacement plan largely in secret—without input from a large swath of members of both parties.

For a little over an hour, the President worked to convince the crowd of supporters – some of whom donned "Make America Great Again" hats and held signs — that his administration is making "tremendous progress" back in Washington. In signature Trump fashion, he took jabs at the "fake news media" complaining that the news cameras never show the crowds at his rallies.

Trump also couldn't help but take a little victory lap, chiding Democrats over their disappointing loss in the Georgia special election on Tuesday. After that win and the win in South Carolina, Trump said his party is "5 and 0" when it comes to special elections. "The truth is, people love us," Trump said. "All we do is win, win, win."

In his effort to rouse his supporters, Trump touted his recent announcement on changes to U.S.-Cuba policy, his decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords, his tax and infrastructure plans, and the tough approach his administration has taken to immigration enforcement.

On Wednesday, Trump told the Iowa crowd that the southern border wall he promised to build — and make Mexico pay for — could feature solar panels. "That’s one of the places that solar really does work," Trump said, noting the hot climate in the southwest, where a border wall would primarily be built. "I think we could make it look beautiful, too."

Though the President poked at Democrats, he did concede that unity on Capitol Hill would be good for the country. "Just think about what a unified American nation could achieve," he said.

During the 2016 election, many independent Iowa voters came out in support of Trump and helped him win the state. The President's Wednesday night rally marked his first trip to the state since his inauguration.